Curtailing ACC authority illegal: HC
Curtailing ACC authority illegal: HC
Star Online Report
The High Court today declared "illegal" and "unconstitutional" the provision that curtailed the power of Anti-Corruption Commission to sue government officials.
The court came up with the order after holding hearing on a writ petition that challenged the legality of the controversial provision.
Delivering the verdict, the court said the ACC law has been amended incorporating the provision to save a section of people, which is inconsistent with the constitution.
Every citizen is equal in the eye of law as per the constitution but the provision is against the constitution, it added.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice ABM Altaf Hossain observed that the provision curtailing the ACC's authority is malafide. So, it is unconstitutional and has no legal effect, the court said.
The Jatiya Sangsad on November 10 last year passed the bill amending the ACC Act-2004 to introduce the controversial provision.
The president signed the bill into law on November 20.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh on November 25 filed the writ petition as public interest litigation with the HC.
The HC on the same day issued a rule upon the government to explain why the amended provision of the ACC law should not be declared illegal.